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Day 280 (The loop is complete)

9/11/2010

42 Comments

 
Daily Stats
Start: 7:30 AM - MM 232
Finish 10:00 AM - MM 218 Grafton Illinois 
Time: 2:30 hours
Daily dist: 14 miles
Total dist: 5740 miles
Companions: Jason Cummings
Weather: Overcast, low 70’s, SE wind 5-10 mph
Notes: Yeee ha!
It was about a year ago that I was in San Diego nervously trying to get my head around all the logistics for a trip I’d dreamt about for years. The mere fact that the idea of the trip had morphed into very real planning seemed like a dream itself. My mind was in a fog of what-ifs and unknowns as well as the sadness that comes with leaving friends behind when you head off in a new direction in life. I’d been kayak camping before, but only for a week or so, and never on something of this magnitude. Five thousand miles seemed like an almost insurmountable mountain to climb. It would be at least two hundred days of paddling to figure out. The obstacles, campsites, water stops, re-supply points… It was too much to take in all at once, so I decided not to. Instead I started out with a broad view of where the trip would take me. Then I took it one month, one week, one day, one hour, one minute, and finally one stroke at a time.

That’s how I did it
 5740 miles… one stroke at a time.


In the planning stage I realized how, instead of vanishing into the wilderness, this trip would encircle the core of our country passing along the edges of some of our most populated cities. With the proximity to civilization, I realized that this trip could be shared with others all along the way. I thought that, if people could follow along, this trip might serve as a reminder of what adventures await us close to home. I also believed that this trip (accessible - in parts - to almost everyone) could motivate people to get out and explore their local waters on their own. For those reasons I decided this was a trip that should be shared.

So it was that I brought along ten pounds of computer, charger, spare batteries and cords. So it was, as well, that on so many nights when I was tired and sore and so desperately just wanted to get to bed, that I stayed up and fought my heavy eye lids to get the blog post up for that day. I knew the daily reports and computer could put me in touch with people along the way. But I never could have anticipated how many people would answer my call to share in this adventure with me. It was a tremendous effort to keep the blog going day after day. But for every person that opened their home to me, joined me on the water, sent a word of encouragement via. E-mail, or told me they were enjoying following along, it was all worth it.

Two hundred eighty days and 5740 miles since it began on a crisp early winter day last December, I have shared a daily account of this trip and my life. With a bumpy start, and many ups and downs, it has been an experience of a lifetime. I am so glad I could bring you along for the ride. Today I am pleased to report that I have paddled the last stroke into Grafton Illinois.

The loop is complete.

It is done.


42 Comments
Luke Stachovak
9/11/2010 03:29:23 am

Thanks for taking us along for the ride Jake. I still think you are a little crazy! We can't wait until Uncle Jake is back home!
Congratulations.

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Kaspar Abbo
9/11/2010 03:55:45 am

Congratulations Jake! I've enjoyed following your epic journey. Now that it's done, I have no idea what will fill it's place. I've never followed a blog before this one. Thank you so much for taking us all along on your adventure!

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Branden Zimmerman link
9/11/2010 04:03:50 am

Congratulations!! What an amazing accomplishment! Hopefully while you are in Wisconsin we will get a chance to catch up.

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Al Benton
9/11/2010 04:46:53 am

Jake, it was great to finally meet you at Grafton, where the Great Loop is indeed complete. Finishing the final leg of your amazing Project must have felt a bit anticlimactic following the very warm welcome in Portage, Wisconsin, where it all began.

To me, however, this finish was a thrill. As I watched you approach the ramp I was filled with emotion and goose bumps knowing that you had accomplished your goal.

Congratulations!!!

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Brad B
9/11/2010 05:10:54 am

Wow Jake! What you have done is nothing short of awesome. You probably do not realize what an inspiration you have been to so many people to get out on the water and enjoy it. I have followed you since you got to the Gulf of Mexico and enjoyed every bit of your blog. I'm sure that whatever you decide to do next will be equally incredible.

Congratulations!!!

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Lyn Stachovak
9/11/2010 05:13:36 am

YOU DID IT!!! Congratulations Jake - Dad and I are thrilled for you and very very proud of you. You've done something very few people get a chance to do - follow a dream and see it to the finish line. I don't think too many people paddled a kayak around the eastern half of the United States either for that matter. I only wish we could've been there to see that last paddle stroke in Grafton.

Now it's off to the Grand Canyon for another adventure. Have a great time and don't forget to tell us about it. Make it part of the trip and blog??? Just a thought. Dad and I love you.

Mom

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Aaron Stachovak
9/11/2010 07:43:33 am

Out freakin standing! You are D - U - N done.

I am both happy for you and a little sad at the same time, for you now will be joining the rest of us with schedules and other responsibilities... :)

Have fun in the desert! see you soon

stove

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Duane Strosaker link
9/11/2010 07:53:27 am

Well Done!

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janice
9/11/2010 08:25:06 am

I am glad you made it... home safely.

It's one adventure you will never forget.

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Jenny
9/11/2010 08:30:58 am

Way to go Jake !! It was so fun following you along the way, Thanks so much for sharing your journey !
You're the best !!
xo, Jenny

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Rick Schwartz
9/11/2010 08:36:20 am

Congratulations Jake. I don't think I've ever heard of an athletic endeavor anything like yours being accomplished. You're an amazing person and a big inspiration to others. Thank you for taking the time to share your daily adventures with all of us. It was an honor meeting you and my best wishes to you for the future.

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Alicia Blackington
9/11/2010 09:12:02 am

Hi Jake !!

WOW so proud & inspired. What a story of an amzing journey that you will always have to share again and again...

I cant wait to give you a big HUG Sunday - San Diego your other "home". I am sure you now have many homes that are welcoming you anytime. Uncle Bob & Aunt Mary would love to have you back.

Hugs,
Alicia

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The Griffith
9/11/2010 10:01:21 am

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The Griffith's link
9/11/2010 10:03:16 am

From all the Griffith's (Chris, Anita, Ben & Shira) Congrats. The twins have been following along your journey and fondly remembering the times you taught them kayaking in San Diego!

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Kevin Lawrence link
9/11/2010 10:42:12 am

Congratulations Jake! Thank you so much for allowing me to follow along with you on your epic trip. I've enjoyed every blog post and will miss them.

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pa
9/11/2010 01:15:08 pm

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pa
9/11/2010 01:23:31 pm

hi Jake,
Once again I hit the wrong key so all you got was Pa, We are happy to hear that you competed your trip. Enjoy the rest of your travels and we'll be waiting for you to fill in all the spaces of your journey when you write that book.
Also Lois and Lee stopped in tonight for a few minutes. THey are camping out in a tent in Marathon Park.THey say hi and congrats.
We love you,
Dad

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Tim
9/11/2010 02:59:39 pm

Congrats, no reason to fire up the
laptop every morn now. Whens the
book coming out? Tim

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Walt
9/12/2010 12:02:43 am

Nice Job Jake. Impressive adventure to say the least. Enjoy a few days in real bed and starting thinking about that book! You have volumes to share I am sure!

Walt

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trevor dewhirst
9/12/2010 12:41:32 am

hi JAKE , well done lad.a yorkshire greeting .all the best for you and the family.hope to cross paths again when in so,cal.burger,fries,coke and whatever else,are on me when we meet again. good luck in the hunting season.a fantastic journey come true .take a break for nowJAKE you deserve it.

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Jane
9/12/2010 06:32:21 am

Congratulations! What a supreme accomplishment. It must feel great to be you right now!! I found this journal when you were in Florida, backtracked, and read all your entries from the beginning in a matter of days. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing this adventure with you, from the comfort of my couch;) I wish you many more... and don't forget to bring us along with you!

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Ron in Vancouver
9/12/2010 09:56:21 am

Whooee! Now that the journey is completed, and everything's jake, please dream another dream - and fulfill it. With you from day 1 and glad/sad it's over - so.... why not complete the blog on the Colorado?
Ron ;-)

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Jim Tompkins link
9/12/2010 11:00:03 am

As a travel filmmaker, I can assure you that your trip is only the beginning of a great and rewarding journey. You will have the joy of speaking about this experience for the rest of your life. Congratulations on a magnificent accomplishment! I look forward to tales of your further adventures.

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Tillman and Beth Cuttino
9/12/2010 01:59:27 pm

Congratulations, Jake! We've followed you since paddling a bit with you in the Charleston harbor during the Kayak Festival in April...your tales have been our bedtime story ever since then (we've "back-read" them all) Thank you for sharing your adventure. Hope to see you in SC again sometime. Well done!
Tillman and Beth Cuttino

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Kirk (San Diego)
9/12/2010 02:23:35 pm

Wow, congratulations! You have completed your dream and inspired many of us with your blog postings. Your trip is a victory for all of us weekend kayakers. Any one of us can dream as we set off in our kayak! And if nothing else, we can be proud to enjoy 1/280th of a major expedition like yours.

You have now exorcised the curse of the banana peel on the stern of your kayak two summers ago:-)

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"Aunt Bev"
9/12/2010 10:00:53 pm

I've followed your adventure from the beginning and it's been fun. Thanks for taking us along. Aside from all your great stories, as a mother of guys your age, I enjoyed reading the comments from your mom!

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Paul B
9/12/2010 10:20:34 pm

Congrats!

How does the old saying go?

"You can leave your adventure, but your adventure will never leave you."

Thanks for the inspiring adventure, a window of a world beyond my desk. Who knows, maybe today I will take Neil's kayak for a trip across bear cut today for lunch...

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The Jo - e's
9/12/2010 11:35:31 pm

Got home from The Ozarks late last night...figured you had finished in Grafton sometime while we were gone. CONGRATS to you Jake...such an accomplishment. Now onto a new adventure...Have a great time on the Colorado.

Jo & Joe
(The Jo-e's)

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Mark Gibbs
9/13/2010 01:56:56 am

Having spent a couple days with you on the Georgia Coast, I can vouch for how tough the nightly blogging was. After what was a short day of paddling for you, I could not lift my arms high enough to type.

Congratulations Jake and thanks for taking us all along.

Mark

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Steven Krause
9/13/2010 05:45:15 am

Now that you've accomplished the adventure: If I go around bragging that I've known you since you were born, will you back up my story?

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Vic
9/13/2010 10:47:05 am

Congratulations Jake, glad to see you safely finished the journey!
Vic

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Elmore link
9/13/2010 10:32:49 pm

Martha and I have enjoyed a great ten months following your incredible journey, Jake. It's an honor for us to have played a small role.

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Mike
9/14/2010 04:02:48 pm

Jake, Fair winds and following seas in your future adventures. I just wanted to say congrats on finishing your trip, and wanted to thank you for allowing so many to share in your adventure with you, your family, and your friends. You all really did an awesome job managing your website, the blog, and everything "under the hood" that seemed so seamless. You all conducted yourselves with swagger and class all at the same time. I can't wait to your book if you publish one!

Very Respectfully,
Mike

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Dave from OKC Kayak link
9/15/2010 06:27:26 am

I just got a phone in report from Jake. He is doing well, except for one problem..... Jake has gained 49 pounds in the last week due to the fact that his eating has not subsided, despite the fact that he no longer paddles 40 miles every day. A final congrats, and to those of you following the blog, keep checking back in from time to time, as rumor has it, Jake has more tricks up his sleeves.

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Jan D
9/15/2010 10:57:53 am

We went to Valley Wide Kayak club on Sep 13 - and Jake told the group about his trip (if Jake gained 49 pounds - I don't know where he put it... the guy is in awesome shape...). It was a wonderful experience for us to hear about the trip and see the slides - and we were blown away by what a nice, down-to-earth guy Jake is.

I hope we get to see Jake in the future - and will definitely watch for his upcoming adventures.

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Greg link
9/16/2010 02:17:41 am

Portage to Portage got my vote in the Canoe and Kayak poll and despite what the article may read, Jake and his voyage are number one in my book!

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Tom Daley
9/16/2010 08:40:23 am

As so many have said Congratulations on an accomplishment that we mere mortals can only imagine. My daughter and I only paddled with you for the six miles into Portage and even thou that was only 1/1000 of your trip it really did give me a feeling of how hard what you have done really was. I have followed your adventure from the start and it was indeed my pleasure to share some of it with you in the final few weeks. What you are trying to accomplish in this adventure has apparently worked on me as I now have a kayak and have enjoyed some small trips and fishing with it that have been most enjoyable. This adventure may be over and it looks like you have more to come and I wish you the Best of Luck on all your future adventures.
Tom Daley

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Vinay
9/16/2010 11:33:47 am

Wow... I remember when you came to River Crossing last year, it was such a long time ago. Congratulations!

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R Ceballos USCG ret
9/17/2010 10:20:36 pm

"Hey Wisconsin", I yelled from a public dock. You put the brakes on and came ashore...Information from my son in Mobile alerted us that you were in our area, New Syrma, Fl...What a thrill to find you speeding by. Glenda and I were hooked and followed all your blogs. Thanks, your a great guy.....................

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D Wolter
9/26/2010 09:20:13 pm

Congrats, Jake! And hope the Grand Canyon was a delightful time! Now, my biggest wonder is how is your family and home doing with, of all things, the levee break and floods in Portage?

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Becky Bennett
9/28/2010 12:49:51 am

Congradulations! Thank you so much for writing your blog, I have followed you from the very beginning. I just took up kayaking last year and love it, I don't think I will ever tackle what you did but I loved reading your blog. Very well done and I will miss reading it!

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lauren white
10/5/2010 06:28:49 am

Congratulations Jake!!!
It doesn't feel that long ago we ran into you on Kiawah Island, SC. Your journey really inspired us to pursue our dream of living aboard a sailboat and seeing what we can see. You'll be happy to know that we have found and purchased a boat and are in the process of packing, throwing away, and donating our land lover possessions.

Congratulations again, and thank you for the inspiration. It was a pleasure meeting you (and Rei enjoyed meeting you too), good luck on all your future endeavors :)

Are you considering publishing your adventure in book form?

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